1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An imaging apparatus (for example, surveillance camera) for outdoor use of which an imaging direction can be changed by driving a motor, and which can perform imaging at night is known (U.S. Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0043478). A camera drive housing is fixed to a mounting base of the surveillance camera. An upper part of the camera drive housing can be pan-pivoted about a pan-axis by a mounted pan-shaft drive motor. Base ends of a pair of parallel tilt-supporting arms are fixed to the upper part of the camera drive housing. Tips of the pair of tilt-supporting arms support a camera housing therebetween. The camera housing is tilt-rotatable about a tilt-axis which is spaced away from and perpendicular to the pan-axis, and is fixed to the tips of the pair of tilt-supporting arms. The camera housing is tilt-rotated by a mounted tilt-drive motor.
A camera is mounted in the camera housing. A camera window is provided on the front surface of the camera housing in order to allow visible light and infrared light transmitted therethrough to be incident to the camera. In the camera housing, a wiper that wipes the camera window is provided so as to be rotatable by driving of the motor. In addition, an illumination housing is fixed to and integrated with the upper part of the camera housing. An illumination device is mounted in the illumination housing. The illumination device emits illumination light through an opening provided in the illumination housing. The opening in the illumination housing is covered with an illumination window. The illumination device emits the illumination light along an optical axis of a camera lens. By the camera housing and the illumination housing being integrated, the surveillance camera changes a direction of illumination light in accordance with a pan or tilt operation of the camera.
In the surveillance camera of U.S. Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0043478, dust or snow accretions generated on an illumination window reduces brightness. Providing a wiper dedicated to an illuminator in addition to a wiper for wiping the camera window in order to address the above issue complicates the structure of surveillance camera.